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DefenseLINK News: Bush, Rumsfeld Confident Iraq Had Weapons of Mass Destruction

"Needless to say," he said, "uncovering those programs will take time." He then reminded committee members that "major combat operations ended less than 10 weeks ago."

UN Weapons inspectors were on the ground in Iraq for four months, from November 2002 to March 2003. The US Military, an arguably much larger force, has been there for two months. When the UN Inspectors were on the ground, the US was complaining within the first two weeks that they weren't finding anything. It was jumping up and down flapping its arms in the UN saying that they were there, could be found easily, and gosh-darn-it, if you just let us invade, we'll show you!

And now? "Uncovering those programs will take time.

You can't have your cake and eat it too, Rumsie. Even if you do find something at this point, given the US's recent fiascos regarding the veracity of its intelligence means you're going to have a hard time proving to the world that the US didn't plant it themselves.

Furthermore,

Saddam Hussein chose war, Rumsfeld stressed, not the United States. For 12 years, the secretary noted, the Iraqi dictator violated 17 U.N. resolutions "without cost or consequence. His regime had an international obligation to destroy its weapons of mass destruction and to prove to the world that they had done so. He refused to do so."

Saddam had the opportunity to prove his weapons of mass destruction program had ended and his weapons were destroyed, Rumsfeld said. "Had he done so, war would have been avoided."

In fact, the Hussein regime did agree to the UN's terms, was (mostly) accomodating the UN inspectors, and apparently -- since there's none to be found -- was destroying what WMD there were.

Finally,

Now that the Iraqi dictator is gone, Bush said, "the world is a much more peaceful and secure place."

That's the largest piece of bullshit I've seen come out of the White House lately. The world isn't the least bit more secure -- it's likely less secure as a result of the US's actions.

• On average, one US soldier has died in Iraq for every day since May 1st. Countless more have been wounded.


• Terrorist acts in Moscow have been on the rise. The removal of Hussein apparently had no effect on the Chechyn terrorists, who are following a suicide-bomber model...


• In the United States, you can be detained for an indefinite amount of time for being suspected of having terorist ties.


• According to the above link, the US government has become excessively protective of its secrecy, to the point of ammending the Freedom of Information Act, censoring EPA reports that mention global warming (what this has to do with 'national security', I know not), and even hindering the efforts of the federal commission looking into 9/11.


• Fresh talk of al-Qaeda having planned massive forest fires


• Bomb blasts have occurred in the Phillipines


• Iran now has Israel within missile range


• Attacks in India by Pakistani militants are still going on

It appears the world is indeed not a very safe place after Hussein's departure after all.

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